Media releases

This week, for Dementia Action Week – from 21 September-27 September - Dementia Australia is sharing daily tips showing simple, yet effective, ways to support people living with dementia. Today, on day one, Dementia Australia is focusing on how to make home life easier for people living with dementia with a few smart changes.

Three out of four people who live with dementia say people don’t keep in touch like they used to, while 65 per cent say people they know have been avoiding or excluding them, results from a Dementia Australia survey have found [1].

Dementia Australia is calling on the federal government to ensure people living with dementia are sufficiently supported in next month’s Federal Budget 2020-2021 announcement in light of the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.    Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe said this year’s unprecedented social distancing measures and restrictions due to COVID-19 have had significant and unintended consequences on people living with dementia, their families and carers.  

Dementia Australia’s Centre for Dementia Learning has today launched ‘Better Banking for people with dementia’ - a new online education program for banks and the financial sector to learn about the impact of dementia and how to provide improved services for people living with dementia, their families and carers. 

The ‘Dementia Australia National Symposium Series 2020 – Dementia care is quality care’ will finish on Tuesday 8 September with presentations from Ita Buttrose AC OBE and Dr James Adonis. Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe said the series has attracted nearly 3,000 unique attendees from Australia and 20 other countries around the world. 

Next week’s session of the Dementia Australia National Symposium Series 2020 – Dementia care is quality care will highlight how person-centred care can become an everyday experience for people living with dementia. Prof Dawn Brooker, Director of the University of Worcester Association for Dementia Studies UK, will be presenting on the topic at the fifth in our Symposium Series.

This week’s session of the Dementia Australia National Symposium Series 2020 – Dementia care is quality care will highlight the importance of relationship-centred quality and how aged care homes can determine if they are delivering it.  Dr Lisa Trigg, Assistant Director of Research, Data and Intelligence at Social Care Wales (UK), will be presenting on the topic at the fourth instalment of the Symposium Series. 

Dementia Australia today called for immediate action to prevent neglect or worse - premature death – and ensure appropriate support and care of people living with dementia in residential aged care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week’s Dementia Australia National Symposium Series 2020 – Dementia care is quality care highlighted the need for collaboration across the aged care sector in order to ensure quality dementia care is core business.  Speaking at the second instalment of the Symposium Series, Swinburne University Chancellor and Leef Independent Living Solutions Executive Chairman Prof John Pollaers OAM began the session by urging attendees to take action. 

On Aged Care Employee Day, Dementia Australia acknowledges the hundreds of thousands of people working in the industry across Australia.  Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe said the day is an opportunity to thank, honour and celebrate aged care employees, which are now more important than ever. 

Leadership, culture change, building workforce capacity and continuous improvement are the essential elements to ensuring quality care for people living with dementia, prioritised in Dementia Australia’s Quality Care Initiative Action Plan released today. Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe said this Action Plan represents a consensus view of thought-leaders across the aged care sector.

Dementia Australia’s National Ambassador Ita Buttrose AC OBE has invited aged care professionals to register for the Dementia Australia National Symposium Series 2020 – Dementia care is quality care.  Ms Buttrose said she will present at the final session of the online weekly webinar series, which will be held for six consecutive weeks starting Tuesday 4 August.